Three Lives Lost Amidst Protests Against Waqf Amendment Act in Murshidabad, Bengal

Synopsis

Three individuals lost their lives in protests against the Waqf Amendment Act in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The violence led to significant unrest, prompting police action and political accusations between parties regarding the handling of the situation.

Key Takeaways

Three fatalities reported due to protest violence.
Two victims were a father-son pair from Dhulian.
Third victim was an unnamed minor in Suti.
118 arrests have been made related to the unrest.
Political leaders exchanged accusations over the handling of the situation.

Kolkata, April 12 (NationPress) On Saturday, violence erupted during protests by individuals from a specific religious community against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act, resulting in the tragic deaths of three people in the minority-dominated district of Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Among the deceased, two were a father and son duo, Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, who lived in Dhulian, Samserganj. Reports suggest they were brutally attacked by a faction of the protesters.

The third victim was an unnamed minor who was shot in Suti, also in Murshidabad, after becoming caught in the chaos. He and a friend were trapped during the unrest at Sajur Crossing on Friday, leading to the tragic incident.

Both were taken to a local medical facility, but unfortunately, one succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

On the same day, Javed Shamim, the Additional Director General of Police for West Bengal, informed the media that 118 individuals have been detained in connection with the violence in Murshidabad.

He urged the public to be wary of attempts to incite violence through the spread of misinformation.

Meanwhile, Amit Malviya, Chief of BJP's Information Technology Cell, accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet members, including Siddiqullah Chowdhury, the State Library Services Minister, of inciting unrest over the Waqf Amendment Act while discussions were still ongoing in the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Malviya claimed, 'She has actively instigated and sponsored violence, especially after Friday prayers. The Library Minister, who leads the state unit of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, stated that a call came from the Chief Minister's office expressing her satisfaction with the gathering.'

Earlier that day, the Chief Minister released a statement, asserting for the first time that the Waqf Amendment Act would not be implemented in the state.

She argued that since the new law would not be enforced in West Bengal, there was no reason for protests to devolve into violent riots.

In response, Malviya labeled the Chief Minister's assertion as a blatant falsehood. 'The reality is that no state government can obstruct a law passed by the Indian Parliament. Mamata Banerjee must comply and is fully responsible for the resultant communal violence and the tragic loss of lives,' he stated in a press release on Saturday.